Which Are The Best Water Toys for Kids In 2022?
Kids have always been fascinated with water toys, and for good reason. They’re great ways to beat both boredom and the heat. That’s why the beach and swimming pools are always so crowded in the summer, as even adults know that these are the coolest places to be. Buy your children the best water toys for kids, and they can also join in the fun. In fact, they may even have more fun than you.
There are plenty of different kinds of water toys, however. Some are basically just pools, though some are designed with kiddie features to entertain the little tykes. Then you have the water slides, plus all the toys that float in the pool for kids to play with. Of course, you can’t forget the water guns. Just teach the kids not to aim at the face, though. To be safe, you don’t really want to get the more powerful versions either.
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6 Best Water Toys - Comparisons
Image | Product Name | Dimensions | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 144 x 144 x 101 | 48 pounds | ||
 | 95 x 75 x 43 | 9.3 pounds | ||
 | 9 x 9 x 5 | 1.3 ounces | ||
 | 15 x 9 x 3 | 12 ounces | ||
 | 10 x 8.5 x 1.5 | 5.3 ounces | ||
 | HIG Water Gun for Kids (Currently unavailable) | 6.7 x 4.7 x 1.2 | 2.9 ounces |
Best Water Toys for Kids in 2020 - Reviews
Safety is obviously a factor that must be considered when you’re trying to find the best children’s water toys. Of course, budget considerations are important too. Here are some of the best kids’ water toys for your money:
The Little Tykes brand name of course indicates exactly which demographics they’re focusing on, but there’s more to this brand than the cute name. It’s actually one of the most highly regarded in the whole toy industry, and both kids and their parents have made their products perennial favorites.
An example of what makes this brand so well-liked is this inflatable swimming pool with slides. Actually, it’s not just a swimming pool. It’s more like having your own water park in your backyard, provided that you have ample space to accommodate the 12-foot dimensions.
Aside from the wading pool, there a climbing wall in the face of the raised “mountain” and there’s even a surprise dump bucket that can drop water on the kids as they climb. Then on the sides you have 2 water slides for extra fun.
Pros
- It’s actually no trouble to set this thing up. You just need to anchor it in place with the included stakes. Then you just inflate it with the included blower. Set it up with water from a garden hose and you’re good to go. Everything takes about 15 minutes at the most.
- If you follow the rules, the fabric should hold up well. This means you limit its use to the smaller kids. The maximum number is 4 kids and the maximum total weight is 350 pounds. Do the math and it is best if your kids all weigh less than 90 pounds.
- The way this thing is designed, all the fun activities can be observed from a front vantage point. So you can just sit there and see all the action, and there aren’t any blind spots where kids can get in trouble without you knowing about it.
- Kids, especially the younger ones, invariably love this. Now you don’t have to take them to the water park, as you’ve taken the water park to them.
Cons
- While it’s easy to set up, packing it up represents a rather tough challenge. That’s because it takes a very long while to complete dry, and you need to expose both sides to the sun to make sure you don’t have any damp spots left. If you overlook a wet area in the fabric when you pack it up, you’re going to end up with mold.
- The rules on proper usage (only 4 kids, and no heavy kids) may upset other children, such as the other neighbors and friends of your kids. This thing really looks fun, and other kids can get envious.
What if you have really tiny tots to entertain in the summer months? From walking toddler age to about 4 or 5 years old, this Intex Dinosaur Play Center will do just fine.
This features a very shallow pool for kids who may feel anxious about deep water.
It offers a slide, a palm tree water sprayer, and also an adjustable waterfall.
There’s also a dinosaur mouth in which tykes can throw in colorful balls. You get all this with a price tag that’s less than 1/10 of the Little Tykes Rocky Mountain pool.
Pros
- It’s great that it’s clearly designed for just little kids. The dimensions of the thing make it obvious that it’s not for the older kids, so they won’t get jealous.
- It doesn’t really take up that much space. At its widest it measures about 7.5 feet across.
- There aren’t any raised surfaces where kids can take a tumble.
- Kids invariably find it fun, especially the little ones.
- It conveniently comes with a repair patch.
- Kids invariably are fascinated with the dinosaur decorations. The Jurassic Park movie was right—kids love dinosaurs.
Cons
- You may have to buy something bigger when your kids get older. After all, there’s only so much fun for them when the water is only ankle deep.
- You’ll have to buy your own blower. At least it’s a good investment. When you have kids, you’ll probably be inflating a lot of stuff over the years.
What if you already have a pool and you just want to spice things up with toys that float? Or what if you just want a toy for your kids in the bathtub?
If that’s the case, then you really need to consider getting this seaplane from Green Toys.
This is just one of the toys that this brand offers, and it’s safe to say that once you buy this you’ll be contemplating getting another one from the same manufacturer. Just about every parent loves this thing, and it’s not just because it’s so affordable.
Pros
- What you may find interesting is that it’s not about toys with a green color (the seaplane can be yellow, in fact). It’s that these toys are made from totally (as in 100%) recycled plastic milk jugs. So this recycling saves a lot of energy and its manufacture reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
- This is also extremely safe for tots as young as a year old. There are no sharp edges. It doesn’t have any dubious materials such as phthalates, PVC, external coatings, or BPA. In fact, you can let your little tykes chew on this since it actually meets the food contact standards set by the FDA.
- There aren’t also any parts here that can detach and become a choking hazard. This thing is extremely durable, even though the propellers actually spin. It’s made in the US.
- It’s a plane that floats—that’s a mindboggling vehicle for a little tyke. After all, they may have found that their toy trucks don’t do well in the water and they just sink. Kids also can play with this on the floor or on the carpet. It’s made for very small hands and kids can handle it easily.
Cons
- It doesn’t come with a pilot, and the cockpit is a bit too small for action figures.
Here’s one toy that young kids really tend to love, and it’s great for parents because they’re extremely affordable. It’s great for kiddie pools and inflatable pools, and you can use this for the bathtub too.
However, kids are imaginative and some of them use this for all types of imaginary play. This package starts with a bright red lobster that works like a pair of tongs.
Then you have 3 colorful sinkers in different marine designs (a fish that looks like Dory, plus a jellyfish and a puffer fish). Little kids who are as young as 2 or 3 years old can then play, trying to grab the little fishies with the lobster claws.
Pros
- It does seem simple for adults, but for kids it’s lots of fun. Lots of parents have found out just how fascinated kids are with trying to pick up things with the claws of a red lobster. You may even find your tots using it to pick up everything with it, such as their other toys, their clothes, and many others.
- For kids who aren’t yet ready to learn how to swim, this makes kiddie pools a lot more fun. Bath time seems more fun too, so it may not be as difficult for you to get your kids to take a bath.
- It’s very affordable. You can buy one for all your kids as well as for all your nephews and nieces.
- It may feel cheap and plastic-y, but it won’t break easily.
- It lets little tots practice their fine motor skills.
Cons
- These things don’t float, so kids may find it difficult to use when they’re in the deeper part of the pool.
Did your kids love the Finding Nemo and Finding Dory Movies? Then they’ll also love this toy set.
Come to think of it, they don’t actually have to have seen the movies to really get into this toy. This toy set starts with the blue Mr. Ray net.
The kids use this to catch the 5 other characters, which includes Dory, Nemo, and 3 others. All have different colors and designs, though they’re approximately the same size.
Pros
- They’re based on characters that kids know and love.
- What makes this really fun for the pool is that the sinkers have different floating capacities. Some just float. Others float for a while and then gradually sink. They may also just sink more quickly. The variety adds to the fun.
- Kids as young as 2 years old can have lots of fun with this in the bathtub, and it helps them master their motor skills. But older kids can have lots of fun with it too, since it encourages them to master their swimming skills. They can race to catch the floaters and the sinkers as well.
- These things will last and the water doesn’t damage the plastic toys.
- The nets are actually challenging to use, as the holes are small.
Cons
- You may have to end up buying lots of these, because all the kids will want to play with and compete with each other. It’s a good thing they’re so affordable.
You can’t have a list of children’s water toys without water guns, and this HIG is a great option.
It’s extremely affordable, so you can buy lots of it (including for yourself when you’re playing with your kids). But just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean it is low-quality. It’s surprisingly good.
You may be worried that your kids may be playing with this outdoors and there can be an issue with law enforcement passing by in your neighborhood. This is a nightmare scenario that becomes highly unlikely, with this HIG squirter.
That’s because it’s designed to obviously look like a kid’s toy. It has a “space laser gun” look and the bright colors make it really non-threatening.
Pros
- The design is also great for both boys and girls.
- This works very well, and it’s one of the best water toys for children because of how well it works. It’s very easy to fill up, especially when you’re already playing in a pool.
- It holds quite a lot of water. Once it’s filled, it doesn’t leak at all. The range is also quite satisfying, as kids can hit targets about 15 feet away. The aim is good too.
- This is also durable as well. It can survive drops from as high as 6 or 8 feet.
Cons
- The main problem with water guns in general (and not just this one) is that kids may be tempted to play with this inappropriately, such as indoors. You may have to set up rules regarding when they can play with it. You may also want to emphasize that they shouldn’t aim at people’s faces, as it can hurt the eyes.
Conclusion
Water toys are fantastic for summer days. You can get inflatable water parks and pools for them to hang out, plus you can get water toys and games to keep those terrible tykes from being bored.
With the best water toys for kids, summer days and bath times are just more fun than ever!
